What Does Debra Really Do at Work All Day?

Hola Amigos,

I know many of you all have been curious to know what I really do at work all day.  So, I decided to take the afternoon, while at work :), to share some of the insights of my VISTA position.  I know my pictures SCREAM FUN, but it's not all play for me; I actually get some work done, occasionally :).

Well, here goes...

I work in an office with 4 awesome women above a local restaurant called Eggington's (which has AMAZING FOOD by the way) in downtown Casper. On a side note: I think this building has a lot of character. Pardon my digression. 

At any rate, each day really is different when I come to work.  I go in at 9am and leave around 5pm.  Today, for instance, I had a noon deadline to submit a radio commercial spot for our upcoming volunteer event for the National Make A Difference Day, which is October 23rd (mark your calendar see what's happening in your community *wink), but some of my agencies hadn't confirmed whether we would be partnering with them or not.  The contact person at the radio station needed those details to fill the 60 second spot and I was ripping and running trying to contact community partners and finish the script and what not.  On top of that we had a staff meeting from 9:30am to 11am.  Remember that I said I don't come in until 9am, so that didn't give me much time to finish the details. 

Let's back up for a minute.  You may be wondering why I waited to the last minute to write the script and figure out the details, right? Well, I actually submitted the script once I got to work, but the radio station needed 60 seconds worth of information and not 30 seconds that I was previously told.  So, I had to think quick, and figure out some fluff, good fluff of course, to fill the extra time.

Let me give you another example of my daily activities.  Last week I hosted my first event which was the 4th Annual Volunteer and Workforce Fair.  I worked with another VISTA member who is out of Riverton (2 hours west of Casper) and was the lead coordinator of getting businesses to participate like Sears and K-Mart.  While he did that, for 2 weeks I was busy recruiting local non-profits who were seeking volunteers to participate.  Overall, this event was pretty successful.  We had News Channel 13 to cover us and I found myself on local television and my voice was heard on a live remote radio feed (two very neat opportunities I must say).  And the radio personality was from Birmingham, AL!!! What a small world.

In the midst of all that craziness, I had to complete an activity called, Passport to Organizations, in which my supervisor gave me a list of about 75 different nonprofits in Natrona and Converse Counties and I had to call 8-10 different organizations to set up 45 minute long meetings.  The goal with this activity was to help me get oriented with the non-profits we work with and to get my name out there in the community that if they need volunteers they should come see me :-).  After assessing the needs of the nonprofits, I am able to match volunteers.  So the other major part of my job is to help individuals who are seeking volunteer opportunities and match them by skills and interests with organizations that need some help.  This is done via our database, www.volunteerwyoming.org . Through our database I am able to track volunteer hours, create reports, manage referrals, create events and opportunities throughout the entire state if I needed to.

One of my fellow ServeWyoming VISTA Volunteer member and I have also been working on the upcoming Special Olympics Fall Tournament volunteer recruitment.  They need 300 volunteers for this 3 day event next week.  We've only been recruiting for less than 2 weeks and it is TOUGH!! So we are really relying on businesses and large organizations to step up and help.  I'm confident that we will meet the need and make sure that all involved have a great experience.

On a calmer day when I'm not rushing to meetings or on a conference call, the ladies and I take turns answering the phones and do routine office work.  Every week I turn in a time sheet just like everyone else, as well as a weekly progress report to keep track of all the chaos :-).

I haven't started started to research or write grants yet, but I will be attending a major grant writing workshop for a week this month in the state's capital,  Cheyenne.  I was awarded a $900 scholarship to attend so I was super excited about that.  In return, I have to complete at least 40 hours of grant writing for any nonprofit in the state of Wyoming, but it will be worth every hour since I will receive a certificate saying I'm a certified grant writer.

I know all of this work is preparation for something extraordinary, but until then I'm enjoying the moment and ALL the lifelong lessons that I've learned thus far.  This is hard work for many reasons, but I'm loving every minute of it even when I call home stressed. I asked God to challenge me and He definitely has delivered.

Well, I hope today's lesson on "What Does Debra Really Do at Work All Day?" has helped.  If you have any questions or comments or suggestions, please comment or email me.  I would love to read your thoughts.  Thanks for tuning in to another edition of Debra's Westward Expansion!

Hasta pronto, 

1 Month Down & 11 To Go

Greetings!

It has already been a month since relocating to Wyoming and as you already know, I am having a ball!  Thus far, I have been able to meet new people, learn some of the lingo, and start to belong to this very unique community.

Here is my list of top 10 things, experiences, and thoughts that have had in 1 month alone:

10.) You know you are in Wyoming when 1 out of 3 vehicles you pass is a PICK-UP TRUCK.

9.) "Share the Road" sign=deer and elk have the right to stop traffic at their leisure.

8.) Country Western dancing is awkward and off beat, yet fun?

7.) Casper has 2 seasons: "Winter & Construction" (ask me about it :)

6.) ISOLATION, ISOLATION, ISOLATION

5.) Joining the Casper Family YMCA has been a great decision! Ballet, Zumba, Water Aerobics what more could I ask for?

4.) Red Flag Advisory=severe wind...like, EVERY day

3.) Work is challenging and unpredictable.

2.) I <3 ALCOVA!!!

1.) Blessings have come in many forms: friendships, financial assistance, and this entire experience in general.

I know my term here will end before I know it, but until then I'm going to keep on keeping on.

Hasta pronto,

3 Weeks Later....WOW

Amigos,

Can you believe it has been 3 weeks since I started on this wild journey?! Well, I CAN'T!!! Time is flying and there is so much to see and experience.  One thing I have notice is a drop in temperature; however, it hasn't been drastic like Berea's weather. It has been nice mild temperatures with a gust of WIND!!!! Make that a BIG GUST!

NEWS FLASH:  I love love love the work that I am doing here. So far I have met with 11 different nonprofits one-on-one this week alone and attended 2 Human Resource Council meetings that had about a total of 17 other contact folks for various organizations. There are a plethora of resources out here and my agenda is to match volunteers to these organizations.

In other news,  I have had the opportunity to learn a few life lessons along this journey already. For one, communication has been of utmost importance. Example: There are 2 Deborah/Debras in the office; this is confusing!!!! Good thing Deborah goes by Deb, right? :) Wrong...that apparently doesn't matter to folks when I greet them over the phone and say "Good morning ServeWyoming this is D-E-B-R-A" lol. It's cool though, but I get a good chuckle in when someone starts going on about something that I have absolutely no knowledge about, because there again they were confusing the Deborah/Debras :)

Secondly, I have learned that people don't mean to stare at me; they are just surprised and excited to see some ummm diversity. =) Kudos to them, but let's keep the stares to a minimum, please, shall we.

Thirdly, on a more serious note, death is hard to deal with when one is 1600+ miles away from home. Not having a support system near by when you need one SUCKS! But then I try to remember that the supreme supporter in my life who is but a prayer away. Although she wasn't a relative, honestly that's beside the point, I had forgotten what it was like to grieve. She was a dynamic woman who will be missed. KFJ, when I start writing these grants for ServeWyoming, I will always remember our last conversation (so thank you for the impact that you have had on my life). You have inspired me more than you know and I only wish I was able to be at home to say farewell my friend, my other big sister. Know that your legacy will live on and I will cherish our memories. Lord give us strength.

And the fourth major lesson learned so far; love living my life to the fullest in spite of everything else (yes, even when it seems impossible).

With Love,

8 Days Later

Damas y Caballeros (Ladies and Gentlemen),

It has been a little over a week since my big transition to WY. In this week:  

I've unpacked, played volleyball with the recreation league, found my way around town (with help of course), learned about Serve Wyoming and my job responsibilities, attended a 2 day training on community engagement, ate Thai Food twice, went to a bbq, went grocery shopping, went to Look Out Point on Casper Mtn, driven to work a different way everyday because of different construction road blocks, went to church, hungout at a Cowboy Saloon (that was different), went to local hangout spots, traveled to Ft. Collins & Denver, CO, participated in the Taste of Colorado, window shopped in Ft. Collins outdoor mall and Cherry Creek Mall, ate really great Indian food in Denver, spent the day in Alcova, WY, went hiking, went bowling and took pictures of my adventures.

'Nuf said...

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST IS A BLAST! TRY IT SOMETIME & I'M CONFIDENT THAT YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.  ~Me   

Happy Trails To You...

As promised the along awaited photos from the West! This set of photos where taken in TN, KY, MO, and IL.

Somewhere on I-24

I <3 Bridges!

So this was the view crossing the bridge.

Isn't TN beautiful?

This was one of my many "traveling buddies". No wonder I made good time ;-)

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE A FEAR OF 18 WHEELERS THAN THE INTERSTATE ISN'T FOR YOU.

Yikes! 18 Wheelers Galore!!!!

Finally after 6 hours I made it to Belleville, IL (outskirts of ST. Louis)

Yay! I'm finally free & it's a Berea Reunion!!

Dallyda & I  "say cheese"

(From L to R) Dallyda, Tish & I

Street Performance in the Loop Disrict

Morning of Day 2 of Trip...Adios St. Louis!

On the other side of St. Louis. It took an hour to get completely out of the city.

Time to get gas! And boy was it CHEAP in MO!

Somewhere in MO.

Nothing but road ahead.

Time to take a bathroom break. This 3 in 1 handwashing system was so neat. I think every public restroom should be like this one.

Time for a picnic Breakfast.

This beautiful butterfly decided to join me for breakfast.

MO home of a bunch for farmland.

Happy Trails to You...

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Yes, I pulled over to take a GOOD picture of the I-80 sign.

Great history on this little Nebraskan town.

Grand Island was home of this year's Nebraskan State Fair.

It was extremely sunny at the state fair, yet amazingly chilly.

Cute little petting zoo at the fair.

Lots of hay bails off I-80

Welcome to North Platte, NE home of Buffalo Bill Cody.

Posing in front of Fort Cody Trading Post.

This was a neat little shop with Native American & Cowboy souvenirs.

Took a break at the near by Cody Go-Karts place.

Here is the race track I drove on.

Welcome To Casper

Welcome to Casper...population 53, 569 (give or take).

Well Amigos,

After 3 days, 1600 miles, and 75mph down I-80 (yes, the speed limit was really was75mph), I finally made it to Casper, WY around 5:30pm Mountain time on Saturday, August 28th. Immediately, my breath was taken away by the pristine mountain range driving.

Before I get ahead of myself, I must tell you about the adventure getting to the Wild Wild West. On Day 1 of my trip, I said my good-byes to Daddy and Chantaine around 6:30am and then I was off to experience a lot of unknown territory. I was on this huge adrenaline rush; I couldn't believe that the 26th of August had arrived so quickly and I was moving clear across the nation. From the beginning, my goal was to relax and enjoy every minute of this experience.

From having a mini Berea reunion with Dallyda and Tish to my GPS, Maggie, getting me partially lost on half paved half gravel Nebraskan truck routes, I gained some great memories just from the car trip alone. I picnicked in several different rest areas and made sure to enjoy each landscape that I came across.

In Missouri I saw a lot of opulent farm land. Once I entered into Iowa, for a brief moment, I viewed large wind turbines from a distance (so of course, I pulled over to take a picture). And then came I-80 through Nebraska the corn capital of the world!!! The good news was it was legal to go 75mph; the downside was that all I saw on day three of my travel was lots and lots and LOTS of CORN! So to break up the monotony, I strolled through the state fair in Grand Island, NE. People there were so friendly and hardworking,

Taking some of the suggestions of the kind folks in Grand Island, I stopped several hours later in North Platte, NE home of Buffalo Bill and Pony Express. I stopped at this major tourist spot called Fort Cody and Cody Go Karts right off the interstate. After learning about Buffalo Bill at Fort Cody, I couldn't resist, but to have a little fun so I stopped by the go karts and went for a "joy ride" on the miniature speedway. I can't remember the last time I was on one of those things, but it was great to feel the breeze blowing through my hair.

After that I continued on my journey through Nebraska and at last when the flat land began to cease and hills started to form, I knew I was super close to crossing into Wyoming. And low and behold, I still hadn't gotten out of Nebraska yet; I had over 50 miles to go before crossing into WY.  I must say that the "Welcome to Wyoming" sign is probably the least plain out of all the states that I've ever crossed into. I couldn't believe that I had finally made it to WY, which ironically had been one state that I used to say I had no real desire of seeing.  I can't even begin to describe the beauty of the state.  I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. I felt as though I was in one of those John Wayne classics. Wide open spaces, gorgeous horizons, cattle grazing, and trains-yup, I was in the West.

Finally, I made it to the last "large" city, Cheyenne, before I was in the home stretch to Casper. At that point I was just ready to be in Casper, so I don't remember much about Cheyenne except for driving past the Air Force Base and entering a storm. At first I was bummed to see the rain, because my entire trip had been rain free up until that moment. It didn't take me long to realize how much more beautiful the area was with the added touch of rain. It was so neat to see the rain fall in one area of the mountain with rays of sunlight beaming down from Heaven. There was something majestic about that moment. Around every winding stretch of road that I encountered, there was landscape like no other in the background. All I can say is my camera was ready to go at all times.

At last I came to a sign that read "Casper next 3 exits"...

To be continued